Biography

The debut album of drummer Elias Nieminen Ensemble, Wave (Eclipse Music 2022), offers to the listeners palpably atmospheric, swinging and cinematic songs by mastermind Elias Nieminen.

The works on Wave combine the beautiful timbres of classical music, the relentless ticking of rhythmic music and the players’ inventive improvisation. The 17-piece Elias Nieminen Ensemble is a new and rare phenomenon. There are only a few jazz-concert music ensembles of this size in Finland. The music is equally unique with it's symphonic scope incorporated into a jazz context. The album is out now on streaming platforms.

The album was recorded as a concert in the spring of 2022, after which it has gone through careful post-production. It gives an image of the Ensemble as a particularly strong live band, whose seamless joint playing has made it possible to release the concert recording as a separate album.



Elias Nieminen has always found the combination of classical and light music truly fascinating, which often serves as the most important inspiration in the creation of his works. Although the drum set is the artist’s main instrument, Nieminen’s compositions usually happens on the piano. Lively piano patterns often play an important role in his music, what's more, various catchy grooves are an irreplaceable part of the artist’s musical language. In Nieminen's opinion, storytelling is also absolutely important, so in order to avoid unnecessary rambling, improvisation is only relied on in rare, but important situations.

Tracklist

1. Clockwork
2. Departure
3. Tuhon torstai(feat. Viivi Rättyä, san. Edith Södergran)
4. Intro for Mondays
5. Mondays of Peace and Quiet
6. The Attic
7. Wave